Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T06:37:58.818Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Soil Moisture Effects on Competitive Ability of Weeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Allen F. Wiese
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University, Southwestern Great Plains Research Center, Bushland, Texas
C. Wendell Vandiver
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University, Southwestern Great Plains Research Center, Bushland, Texas

Abstract

Ten plant species were grown in competition with each other at different soil moisture levels in a greenhouse. Corn (Zea mays L.), barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv.), cocklebur (Xanthium pensylvanicum Wallr.), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare L., var. RS 626), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L) Scop.) produced the most growth in wet soil. Dry soil greatly reduced growth of these species. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) produced an intermediate amount of growth under wet and medium soil moisture and much less in dry soil. Kochia (Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.), Russian thistle (Salsola kali L., var. tenuifolia Tausch), buffalobur (Solanum rostratum Dunal.), and tumble-grass (Schedonnardus paniculatus (Nutt.) Trel.) produced much less growth under wet conditions than the more competitive species, but growth was not reduced in dry soil. Russian thistle produced twice as much growth in dry as in wet soil.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1970 Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Blackman, G. E. and Templeman, W. G. 1938. The nature of competition between cereal crops and annual weeds. T. Agr. Sci. 28:247271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Cords, H. P. 1960. Factors affecting the competitive ability of foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) . Weeds 8:636644.Google Scholar
3. Godel, G. L. 1935. Relation between rate of seeding and yield of cereal crops in competition with weeds. Sci. Agr. 16:165168.Google Scholar
4. Nieto, J. and Staniforth, D. W. 1961. Corn foxtail competition under various production conditions. Agron. T. 53:15.Google Scholar
5. Pavlychenko, T. K. 1949. Plant competition and weed control. Agr. Inst. Rev. 4(2):142145.Google Scholar
6. Staniforth, D. W. 1957. Effects of annual grass weeds on the yield of corn. Agron. J. 49:551555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Staniforth, D. W. 1961. Responses of corn hybrids to yellow foxtail competition. Weeds 9:132136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Staniforth, D. W. 1962. Responses of soybean varieties to weed competition. Agron. J. 54:1113.Google Scholar
9. Vengris, J. W., Colby, G., and Drake, M. 1955. Plant nutrient competition between weeds and corn. Agron. J. 47:213216.Google Scholar